Banana and coffee play a key role in Burundian agricultural production. But, coffee growing in monocropping system is less profitable. This pushes small producers to increase the area occupied by banana by planting banana around coffee plots or by intercropping coffee with banana. The aim of this thesis is to analyse the agronomic performance of banana-coffee intercropping system in order to recommend good management practices to sustain coffee production in Burundi.
Using data from 60 adjunct coffee and banana plots, we observe that the growth and the yield of coffee are not affected by banana. Furthermore, the yield and the growth of banana are higher in banana close coffee. The buffer zone close coffee plots seems benefit to banana without negative effect on coffee.
When banana is intercropped with young coffee, coffee yield and growth decrease by increasing banana density. On the other hand, cherry mean weight increase with density of banana. The effects of coffee on banana production and growth depend on coffee growing stage with negative effects with old coffee (7 years after stem pruning). Incomes are higher in plots with high density of banana whatever the age of coffee. This confirms the important place of banana in improving farmers’ living conditions.
Banana-coffee intercropping could encourage small producers to invest in existing coffee plots or new coffee plantations. Optimizing the management of this system will avoid significant decrease of national coffee production.